IT’S almost 12 months since Steve Davis took charge at Gresty Road and his reign has been a resounding success.

A club record unbeaten run and a magnificent Wembley promotion mean even Craig Revel Horwood or Simon Cowell would find it difficult to criticise his time in the hot seat.

The sales of Ashley Westwood and Nick Powell boosted club coffers and our academy’s profile, while we’ve added some useful new signings.

But after a solid if not spectacular start to the new campaign, now is a good time to take stock of the direction we’re going in off the pitch.

Season ticket sales and gates have increased, but maybe the club hasn’t capitalised on the momentum and optimism of last season enough.

The BBC’s Price of Football survey ranked Crewe as 15th ‘cheapest day out’ in League One. We consistently play in front of 5,000 empty seats.

To make sure the first team and academy can achieve their full potential we need to increase our gates. The goal of everyone at the club should be to get 8,000-plus people into Gresty Road every week.

But the club is so passive in its approach to supporters. They seem to assume it is impossible to get more in, and don’t appear to try.

With a £20 matchday ticket price – which goes up to £27.10 once you’ve bought a programme, cup of tea and a pie – supporting can be costly.

This cost is about average for the division, and the club will also point to discounted tickets if bought before the day of the match, cheap kids tickets and decent deals on season tickets. Could the commercial department do more? Look at Charlton who put 8,000 on their gate this week by having £5 tickets. But if we have 5,000 fans paying £20, would we need 10,000 fans if we lowered the prices to £10?

The club will argue that lowering prices just loses money. That if each fan is £20 through the gate each week, it doesn’t want to reduce that to £15 or £10 for each fan. But a fan is also someone that buys food, drinks and merchandise.

More importantly – and this is what the club doesn’t seem to understand – each extra new fan has an incalculable new worth to the club.

Every new fan publicises the club when they phone up radio shows, write to newspapers, wear the club shirt, or write on an internet chat room or Twitter.

Moreover, every fan brings other people to the club and some of these keep coming.

Most importantly of all, every new fan adds a little bit extra encouragement for the team on a matchday, and gates increase fastest when the team is doing well.

Davis and the boys are doing their bit. Now it’s time for the commercial side to do pull their weight as well.

What do you think? We certainly welcome your views. Email us at crewe.sport@cheshirenews.co.uk or write to Sports Editor, 32-34 Victoria Street, Crewe, CW1 2JE.